This is the journal of the Institute of Hispanic Ufology (IHU), presenting UFO and paranormal cases from Spain, South America and the Caribbean

Wednesday, May 12, 2010

The Enigma of UFO Beams

You Light Up My Life: The Enigma of UFO BeamsBy Scott Corrales(c) 2010

Allegations of injuries caused by the presence of unidentified flying objects go back to the very start of the contemporary manifestations of the phenomenon in the 1940s. Readers with a thorough background in the field are probably thinking right now of the Stephen Michalak case (Canada, 1965) or in Aracariguama case (Brasil, 1949), or far less lurid incidents like the patrolman whose injury – a pet alligator bite – was allegedly healed by a beam from a UFO Groups of humans have been victims of these beam attacks, as in Argentina’s Trancas case, where a family was besieged within their home by beam weapons that caused a drastic increase in temperature, or Brazil’s Ilha Colhares, where townspeople fell prey to the predations of the box-like – and still unexplained – chupa-chupas.

Older cases can almost surely be found, going back as far as the Bible, when the explanations for these beams were usually associated with the punishment of the wicked or manifestations of extreme divine displeasure. It may sound a bit cavalier to say “physical effects are the least of it”, but humans have also undergone profound psychological changes as a result of these projections: changes in religious philosophy, dramatic IQ increases and other mutations are known, although they remain largely anecdotal. In olden days, we would refer to this phenomenon as “illumination” – perhaps with good reason. Much like Paul on the way to Damascus, a non-human presence crosses our path and changes our lives forever in a blaze of light.

Developments in the study of electromagnetic radiation have given us new insights on the effect of the various types of "rays" emitted by UFOs. We know that low-frequency microwaves can cause irreparable damage to the human nervous system, and other wavelengths can actually be proven beneficial to humans in moderate amounts. Normally, 10 to 30 milligauss of exposure is considered to be acceptable, and it is what we receive from computer terminals, television sets, microwave ovens, etcetera.

The "benign" rays issued from unidentified flying objects are few and far between when compared to the lethal ones which have been the topic of a dozen studies. The deaths of witnesses on account of exposure to unknown radiation are the discussed in the book Confrontations by Jacques Vallée, in which he recounts alarming unprovoked attacks upon humans in northern Brazil. At the book's core are the attacks by machine-like devices referred to as chupa-chupas by the natives. Vallée leads us through nightmarish accounts in which the protagonists--who have limited exposure to a "space minded" culture—provide candid descriptions of injuries inflicted by beam and gas weapons, the deaths of friends and relatives in such attacks, and the aftereffects of such experiences.

On Saturday, December 30, 1972, Ventura Maceiras, the 73-year-old watchman of a property located in the Angel Cabañas Municipal Park of Tres Arroyos, province of Buenos Aires (Argentina), was calmly sipping tea one evening when a brilliantly illuminated object appeared out of nowhere in a nearby clearing. He could make out the forms of two beings clearly within the glowing object, and with the rustic courtesy of the gaucho, Maceira proffered his cup of "mate" – the traditional Argentinean infusion – to the new arrivals. His cat, having just given birth to litter of kittens, ran away from the unnatural light, forsaking her young.

Events following the apparition of the alien craft proceeded quickly. Maceira saw the beings depart in a flash of light, and immediately began to feel ill, with slight vomiting and incontinence. Strange tendrils of fine, thread-like material (a form of Morgellon’s Disease?) streamed from his eyes and his blood cell count dropped precipitously. Researchers were startled to find that fish in an adjacent pond had died of unknown causes. Maceira's cat returned, displaying patches of burnt fur as if from extreme heat, and would later die mysteriously, along with Maceira’s dog, who is seldom mentioned in the numerous retellings of the case. But a totally unforeseen event began to transpire: Maceira began to acquire thoughts foreign to his experience and meager education. He was able to discuss the finer points of history, philosophy, medicine and astronomy with experts come from the capital to see him. To the amazement of his attending physicians, Maceira was growing a new set of teeth. It should be noted, however, that subsequent investigations called into question the dental development and the alleged improvement to his eyesight.

In the early evening hours of October 1, 1977, a 8-year-old boy named Martin Rodriguez was allegedly injured by a UFO on the outskirts of the Spanish city of Tordesillas (perhaps best remembered as the place where Spain and Portugal signed a treaty in the 16th century, partitioning the entire planet between them). Young Martin had left school and headed to a deserted part of town to play hide-and-seek with his friends, always within earshot of each other. Accompanied by his inseparable buddy Fernando, they came to a ruined building. Picking up a stone from the ground, Martin tossed it over the fence into what should have been a vacant lot, but was startled to hear a metallic clang on the other side. Unable to resist their curiosity, the boys entered the derelict structure only to face a blinding source of light at the far side of the ruined property.

The object had the shape of a teardrop, and hovered over the bits of broken brick and loose stone. Mesmerized by the incredible sight, Martin did not react when a seemingly solid beam of light emerged from the teardrop and impacted against his solar plexus. He would later say that he felt “hooked” by the beam and unable to break free from the light. Fernando, dazed by the situation, tried to help his friend by tugging at him – it was at that point that the beam was cut off and the teardrop-shaped light source ascended slowly into the dark skies. Martin slumped helplessly to the ground.

Subsequent days brought visits from family doctors, friends and townspeople who had heard about the event. Martin experienced headaches and dizziness; his narrative was dismissed as “childhood fantasy” even though his father had collected strange black ashes from the site above which the teardrop-shaped light had supposedly hovered. Perhaps more disturbing for the frightened lad and his parents was his partial loss of vision a fortnight after the incident, foreshadowing worse to come.

For indeed, the previously healthy eight-year-old developed life threatening medical symptoms after falling into a coma that reportedly lasted several weeks, then being subjected to surgical procedures whose purpose was never made clear to the boy or his desperate parents (beyond a casual diagnosis of hydrocephaly) and which would lead to ten more operations.

In 2009, Martín was invited to Spanish UFO journalist Iker Jimenez’s Cuarto Milenio television show to revisit his experience, assisted by a chilling dramatization of the events, and to describe the object in greater detail, down to its struts, hatchway and its “dull leaden color”. TV viewers were treated to a sketch of the object, showing a three-pronged “projection device” that was the source of the beam.

Martín Rodríguez’s brush with the unknown did not give him superpowers or boost his IQ. It simply ruined the life of a healthy, vibrant child who was discreetly accused of being “mental” as a result of the ordeal. When asked during the interview if he would like to see the object again, Martín was ambivalent. He hesitated, and replied that it would be good show others what he had seen that night, just to dispel any doubts as to the reality of his story.

Martín would have perhaps found some comfort over the years in knowing that he was not alone. Other humans have found their lives ruined by emanations from unknown objects: look at what happened to “Pedro”, the protagonist of a tragic case from Luis Ramirez Reyes’s Contacto: México (1977)

On a given a weekend in December 1988, Pedro and a friend had gone to play an early morning game of tennis at the clay courts facing a large auto assembly plant on the outskirts of Mexico City. While waiting for other colleagues to join them, the two men suddenly felt that "the sun was rising behind them." Turning around, the were absolutely floored by the sight of a descending circular vehicle that irradiated formidable amounts of white light, illuminating the entire area. The saucer-shaped craft touched down on a nearby field.

Pedro and his friend suppressed a strong urge to flee and forced themselves to remain and see what further incredible developments would occur. Their courage and patience were rewarded with a glimpse of two creatures, described as clad in tight-fitting grey outfits and standing some four feet tall. Pedro added that "the creatures didn't look like you ufologists describe them", indicating that their heads had normal proportions, had small mouths and noses and slanted eyes.

The astonishing experienced lasted approximately 20 minutes, in Pedro’s estimation. The diminutive aliens returned to their craft, which then rose into the air and disappeared "like they do in the cartoons". The witnesses decided that the wisest course of action was to share their experience with no one.

The following day, Pedro returned to his job at the car assembly factory feeling confused and dejected. He told investigator Ramírez that he feared that his co-workers would take him for "a lunatic or a drug user" if he related his story. While carrying out his duties, the UFO witness was suddenly gripped by unexplained seizures, convulsing on the assembly line. He was whisked off to a medical facility, where the doctor on duty decided to send him to a psychiatrist, given that Pedro "ranted about aliens during his seizures."

A psychiatrist determined that while he could find nothing wrong with Pedro, his disclosures of the sighting and the aliens might indicate schizophrenia. The hapless experiencer was sent to a mental health facility where he claims he was injected with a substance that made him "look like nut", thereby making it easier for everyone around him to dismiss him as hopelessly insane. Despite the drug's influence, Pedro tried telling his parents that he wasn't crazy, but he was not believed.

The UFO witness was committed to a mental health facility where he witnessed the most atrocious abuse of the inmates by their keepers. One of the asylum's orderlies suspected that Pedro was clearly not insane, and told him to "behave like a paranoid" to avoid further problems during his stay at the institution.

Fortunately for Pedro, his companion at the tennis court had chosen to disclose the UFO experience in its entirety, despite having promised to conceal it. This ultimately proved to be the key that secured Pedro's release from the mental health facility. "But upon my release," he told Ramírez,"I was still not free from criticism by my fellows. People clearly did not believe me or my friend, to the extent that I was refused employment in [the car assembly plant] or in other area factories."

Lest the reader begin to think that these incidents are somehow confined to Latin America and Spain, there are several European cases that also present similar situations. A rather dramatic Scandinavian case comes to mind: Aarno Heinonen and Esko Viljo’s brush with the unknown in January 1970 in the forests of Imjarvi, Southern Finland. These two cross-country skiers had stopped for a break and noticed the approach of a very powerful light, enveloped in a rotating red mist. The object disgorged a diminutive occupant who fired a pulsating beam at Heinonen amid the thick red mist. The object, the ufonaut and the red mist vanished at once, leaving nothing but emptiness. The injured human was unable to walk and had to be assisted by his companion back to the nearest village. Symptoms of the unwarranted beam attack included throbbing headaches, vomiting and black urine. This initial experience apparently unlocked a succession of what we may term “contactee” activities involving both men.

About Me

The Institute of Hispanic Ufology was established in October of 1998 with the appearance of the first issue of Inexplicata. The organization currently has representatives and contributing editors in over a dozen Spanish-speaking countries. Director: Scott Corrales.